to have been assisted by large numbers of Sons of Liberty and other guerrillas, who came armed to that convention gathered from Kentucky, Missouri, Indiana, and Illinois, and were to be under the immediate command of Brigadier General Charles Walsh, of the Sons of Liberty. The presence of these officers and men for that purpose was suspected by the Government, and re-enforcements made to garrison at Camp Douglas, which toward the expedition, and its members dispersed, some of the rebel officers and soldiers to Canada, others to Kentucky, and yet others to Southern Indiana, and Illinois, and the Sons of Liberty and guerrillas to their respective homes, to await a signal for the general uprising which it was determined should soon take place in the States of Illinois and Indiana against the Government. The danger supposed to be passed, the re-enforcements sent to this garrison were ordered elsewhere, leaving hardly force enough, with the most rigid economy in the use of officers and enlisted men to guard the prisoners of war and perform other necessary duties at this post.

About the 1st of November another expedition of like character was organized in Canada, to be commanded by Captain Hines and composed of the same elements as that which had failed at the time of the Chicago Convention. It was determined that the attempt should be made about the period of the Presidential election, and the night of that day was finally designated as the time when the plot should be executed. During the canvass which preceded the election the Sons of Liberty (a secret organization within and beyond all doubt unknown to the better portion and majority of the Democratic party) had caused it to be widely proclaimed and believed that there was an intention on the part of the Government, and great danger that such intention would be carried into effect, to interfere by military force at the polls against the Democratic party, as an excuse under which to arm themselves as individuals and had also obtained and concealed at different places in this city arms and ammunition for themselves and the rebel prisoners of war when they should be released. On the evening of the 5th day of November it was reported that a large number of persons of suspicious character had arrived in the city from Fayette and Christian Counties, in Illinois and that more were coming. On Sunday, the 6th day of November, late in the afternoon, it became evident that the city was filling up with suspicious characters, some of whom were escaped prisoners of war and soldiers of the rebel army; that Captain Hines, Colonel Grenfell, and Colonel Marmaduke were here to lead; and that Brigadier-General Walsh of the Sons of Liberty, had ordered large numbers of the members of that order from the southern portions of Illinois to co-operate with them. Adopting measures which proved effective to detect the presence and identify the persons of the officers and leaders and ascertain their plans, it was manifest that they had the means of gathering a force considerably larger than the little garrison the guarding between 8,000 and 9,000 prisoners of war at Camp Douglas, and that taking advantage of the excitement and the large number of persons who would ordinarily fill the streets on election night, they intended to make a night attack on and surprise this camp, release and arm the prisoners of war, cut the telegraph wires, burn the railroad depots, seize the banks and stores containing arms and ammunition, take possession of the city, and commence a campaign for the release of other prisoners of war in the States of Illinois and Indiana, thus organizing an army to effect and give success to the general uprising so long contemplated by the Sons of Liberty. The whole number of troops for